The Chair of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Prince Harding, said, “It is a sad day for this country’s democracy, human rights record and it’s a complete erosion of justice, which may lead to anarchy.” The Chair was commenting on the adjournment of the SLPP Publicity Secretary’s cases on Friday 17 November 2017.
Harding made this statement during a press briefing outside the Court building following the controversial adjournment. He said, “For the Correctional Service to determine when the Court should sit is unbelievable. We will not accept this. Today, we are enduring most of these transgressions … there will come a time when we will not be able to restrain our people. Not even the President has the power to stop Court sittings but a prison officer did,” he stressed.
He called on the international community to take notice of what was happening and urged that they join them to address the anomalies of this “selfish governance”.
To the ruling government, Harding added, “We agreed to practice decent democracy. We should collaborate in that sense. For peace and unity, please release Leema. He is a young man doing his job… this is a legal problem.”
ES/18/11/17
By Edna Smalle
Monday November 20, 2017.